Describe the frame
Sail angle, mast position, wake, bank, rope, passenger placement and light can be recorded when genuinely visible.
Evidence before romance
Editorial approach
The river is dynamic, so every note marks the difference between a visible clue, a general principle, a current decision and something unknown.
Explain cautiously
Lateen rig geometry and the effect of references are useful background, but boats and operating practices vary.
Ask locally
Route, price, weather, traffic, equipment, boarding point and availability belong to the present operator and conditions.
Photographs are fixed moments
A credited image can establish a visible scene at the moment it was made. It cannot serve as a live webcam, timetable, safety inspection or promise that the same boat and landing are currently available. Captions therefore name only the location supported by the source and the structures visible in the frame.
No invented voyage
The journal does not claim first-person rides, crew interviews or field measurements it did not make. Practical advice is phrased as a preparation method: what to confirm, what not to assume and when to defer to a responsible operator or authority.
One vessel does not define every felucca
Hull form, rig, seating, use and finish vary. “Felucca” is useful as a broad boat type, but the name does not erase differences between vessels or establish a particular history for every example. The notes avoid reading age, ownership, seaworthiness or authenticity from paint and cloth.